A Lifesaving Pick-Me-Up

Black Tea

Drinking three cups of black tea daily for six months cuts blood pressure by two to three mmHg, says a study of nearly 100 people published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. "When [tea is] combined with other lifestyle factors like weight loss and reduced sodium intake, the overall effect can be significant," says study author Jonathan Hodgson. Though researchers don't know how black tea lowers blood pressure, they believe its flavonoids, or plant compounds, relax blood vessels. Since black and green teas come from the same plant, it's likely that green tea, which may help prevent weight gain, reduce cholesterol, and even kill cancer cells, also lowers blood pressure.